Who You Are - Jessie J: A Review

This review was first published on my original blog, Francis Fares on March 5, 2011:

Jessie J has burst onto the pop music scene with her hits Do It Like a Dude and Price Tag. Prior to this, she was best known for co-writing Miley Cyrus‘ megahit Party in the USA.

Her debut album Who You Are is a collection of impressive pop tunes that showcase her brilliant vocals and engaging personality.  Initially, I was kind of expecting to hear a pop/dance album along the lines of Do It Like a Dude to position her as the UK’s answer to Katy Perry, Lady Gaga or Ke$ha. However, this album has so much more to offer than just a generic mix of club ready tunes.

The standout tracks for me are:

Price Tag (feat. B.o.B) – This is a no brainer. It’s the most radio-friendly song on the album. It sounds pretty close to Party in the USA, which is no surprise since they’re both produced by Dr. Luke (Ke$ha, Katy Perry).

Casualty of Love – the vocals and production sound reminiscent of classic 90s R&B. With so much electropop on mainstream radio these days, it’s refreshing.

Who You Are – I’ve already put this ballad on repeat, it’s good and not overly saccharine, either. It’s something TLC would’ve released (or already have…see: Unpretty). All in all though, this album was a surprise for me. It’s a real mix of pop and R&B songs. In terms of albums to compare this with, I would say its along the lines of Lily Allen‘s releases. Jessie similarly infuses a cheeky sense of humour 

Moreover, I couldn’t help thinking of the Spice Girls. For instance, Who’s Laughing Now features a chorus that reminds me of Move Over. Jessie also covers the same kinds of themes that featured on Spice, too. She sings songs about mothers, love, friendship, etc…although they’re basically the themes that make up the blueprint to every good debut pop album. But nonetheless, its no surprise that the BBC called her “a one-woman Spice Girls with added urban edge” when naming her the Sound of 2011.

I give Who You Are three and half stars out of five. It’s definitely worth checking out.